From Smart Locks to Key Management: Chatlock to Launch New Key Box for Vacation Rentals and Properties Ahead of Summer Travel Season

Meeting the growing demand for contactless check-ins during the summer vacation and travel season, Chatlock is preparing to launch a new key box designed for vacation rentals and lodging facilities, expanding its physical key management solutions for vacation homes, stores, and offices.

Chatlock Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Edogawa-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kazunori Oki) is advancing preparations to launch a new key box that supports physical key handover, addressing the rising demand for contactless check-ins at vacation rentals and lodging facilities during the summer travel season.

This new product is designed to make the handover and temporary storage of physical keys—common challenges at vacation rentals, holiday homes, small lodging facilities, stores, and offices—more intuitive and efficient. Detailed specifications, release date, and other information will be announced in due course via the official Chatlock website and official store.

Growing Demand for Contactless Check-ins During Summer Season

With summer vacation and Obon holidays approaching, domestic and inbound travel is increasing, leading to higher occupancy at vacation rentals, holiday homes, and small lodging facilities.

However, many such facilities do not have on-site staff, making key handover at guests’ arrival times and key sharing with cleaning staff or management companies an ongoing operational challenge.

In recent years, more facilities have adopted contactless check-in systems to improve operational efficiency and address labor shortages. Yet, due to building structures or management regulations, many properties still cannot install smart locks and continue to rely on physical keys.

As a result, demand is rising not only for smart locks but also for secure and efficient physical key management solutions.

New Key Box

A New Option for Simpler, On-Site Key Management

To date, Chatlock has offered access control products for a wide range of use cases, including residential smart locks for homes, stores, offices, and vacation rentals.

During this time, the company has frequently received requests such as:

- Wanting to improve key management even in properties where smart locks cannot be installed

- Wanting to introduce contactless check-in while continuing to use physical keys

- Seeking easier ways to share keys with cleaning staff and management companies

To meet these needs, Chatlock is expanding its product lineup beyond smart locks to include solutions that support physical key handover.

The new key box, now in preparation, is part of this initiative.

About the New Key Box

The upcoming new key box is a PIN code-operated key safe designed for secure and intuitive storage and handover of physical keys.

It features a simple, battery-free design and unlocks via PIN code, making it suitable for key management at homes, vacation rentals, holiday homes, stores, and offices.

Equipped with a large storage compartment, it can hold not only physical keys but also access cards such as IC cards. Built with outdoor use in mind, it features IP65-level dust and water resistance and an aluminum alloy body to withstand rain, wind, and typical outdoor conditions.

Designed for wall mounting, it supports a wide range of applications, including contactless check-ins at vacation rentals, key sharing with cleaning staff, and after-hours key handover at stores and offices.

Further details on product specifications, release date, pricing, and sales channels will be announced in due course.

Target Use Cases

The new key box is designed for the following scenarios:

- Contactless check-in at vacation rentals and holiday homes

- Physical key handover at lodging facilities

- Key sharing with cleaning staff and management companies

- After-hours key management at stores and offices

- Key management in properties where smart locks cannot be installed

- Temporary key storage at rental homes and apartments

- Shared key management for warehouses, equipment, and facilities

By combining smart locks and physical key management according to specific needs, Chatlock aims to offer flexible access control solutions.

Future Outlook

Chatlock continues to expand its product lineup beyond smart locks to include key boxes, smart padlocks, electronic locks, and related accessories.

Moving forward, the company will continue developing access control solutions tailored to different environments and operational challenges in homes, vacation rentals, hotels, stores, offices, and facility management, helping customers choose the optimal key management method for their needs.

About Chatlock Co., Ltd.

Chatlock Co., Ltd.

Chatlock Co., Ltd. is a company engaged in the research, development, planning, manufacturing, and sales of smart locks and key management products.

Under the mission of “Making keys more flexible and more secure,” the company offers smart lock products and key management solutions under its own brand “Chatlock,” tailored to various use cases including homes, stores, small offices, vacation rentals, and lodging facilities.

In addition to residential smart locks, Chatlock provides products and services for facility and equipment key management.

Learn more

[Company Overview]

Company Name: Chatlock Co., Ltd.

Address: 5-5-13 Harue-cho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo

Business: Planning, development, and sales of smart home devices and security equipment

Official Website: https://www.chatlock.co.jp/jp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chatlock-jp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chatlock2018/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/chatlock2018

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chatlock_jp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=615697986322479